


Hands Clasped, Truths Told

by dreamcp



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Arguing, First Kiss, Fluff, Holding Hands, Leonardo POV, M/M, ezio is worried for leo always, leo is in awe of ezio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-17 03:57:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13650939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamcp/pseuds/dreamcp
Summary: The assassin and the brilliant inventor who work in sync to topple the corrupt, who work in the shadows to serve the light. Who each believe the other is awe-inspiring, brilliant beyond measure.They fit well together, no?





	1. The Wings that Watch Over Us

**Author's Note:**

> Replaying ACB since I got the PS4 collection for Christmas, I was playing the templar agents assassination missions and was struck by the way Ezio interacted with people. In particular, the mission with him avenging the woman whose husband had beaten her (Counter-Propaganda?) got me thinking about what the common people in Rome thought about all the activities that take place in the game. And Leo, not being an assassin but being immersed quite heavily in that world, likely saw how his actions impacted those people firsthand. Anyway, that's what inspired this one, and I ended up writing the second chapter to show Ezio's own deep care for Leo as well. Thanks for reading!

Leonardo's life is a unique one. He walks the streets of Roma with his two feet in two worlds: that of the common folk, and that of the Assassins. While not one himself, Ezio tells him enough that Leonardo is well aware of the secret war raging between his closest friend and his “employers.” 

But the citizens of Roma are far from clueless themselves. They know of the men and women who fly across rooftops to descend on guards and city officials. The white of their clothes mixes with the red of the blood they shed, and the populace cowers in fear of these demons. Leonardo hears them whisper, shaking their heads and hoping these devils would be dealt with soon.

But this is not so with everyone, he discovers. Leonardo is under close watch by the Borgia, who suspect his ties to Ezio, but he is allowed enough freedom to roam the streets. On these occasions he prefers to leave the city center, where there are the most prying eyes, and instead heads directly for the outskirts. There he finds many who are, with some convincing, willing to voice their true thoughts on the “hooded demons.”

“There was one man that aided me,” says one woman Leonardo meets. “Showed my former husband a thing or too after he had hit me,” she says, pointing to the last remnants of fading cuts on her face. “It was kind of him.”

“Former?” asks Leonardo.

The woman's lips quirk up into a smile.

“One of them avenged my fiancée for me,” says a man. He looks to the ground and smiles softly, sadly. “She dared to defy the Borgia and paid with her life. He made sure that her death would not go unpunished, and I am forever grateful to him.”

“I fear neither the Borgia nor death,” says a man of the cloth, “But others of my faith lost their lives to Brother Ristoro. He has been dealt with, thanks to that man.”

“My husband left me to join a gang,” says another woman. She shakes her head. “He can kill no longer, not after the man who approached me took care of him.”

Leonardo cannot tell them, of course. But each tale of charity warms his heart. Ezio confided in him once, many years ago now, that he feared he would lose his humanity to serve under his creed. These tales tell him plainly that no such thing has happened. Ezio's heart is as soft as it ever was, even if he is more outwardly reserved.

It is made clear to him on these occasions out just how much of an impact Ezio is having on the city. On his arrival in Roma, nearly half the shops in the city were closed on the orders of the Borgia. The streets were far too empty for a city of this size. But now? Upon every street Leonardo walks, he sees another newly opened shop, owned by another man with a bright smile who will tell him in a hushed voice about the man in white robes who gave him the money to start his business. The streets bustle with people as the city flourishes under Ezio's touch.

He tells all of this to Ezio, one day. He tells Ezio of the people he has met, the ones who remember their savior with gratitude, and he tells Ezio of the city's bloom. Leonardo can't stop the words once they start. He trips and stumbles over his train of thought, trying to _prove_ to Ezio how important his work has been, how good of a man he is, and Ezio watches him with a smile and perhaps Leonardo is rambling a bit—

Ezio lays a hand on Leonardo's. It jolts him from his impromptu speech; they have not risked touching since they rediscovered each other in Roma, ever aware of prying eyes. It's the warmth of Ezio's skin against his own that reminds Leonardo of the near constant contact they used to indulge in. Leonardo did not realize just how much he missed it. Hesitantly, Leonardo links their fingers.

“I thought you should know,” he finishes lamely, avoiding the assassin's eyes.

“Thank you, Leo.”

They say no more for the short while they remain seated. But Leonardo stores the memory of their entwined hands away for when times are not so happy.


	2. The Wind at Our Backs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonardo finds himself in peril, but he is never in danger for long with his guardian angel always at his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahhhh it ends kinda suddenly maybe but I ran out of ideas. Let's be real, that's what you're here for anyways lol

He is in danger every moment he lives, Leonardo knows. He tempts fate with every illicit meeting with his assassin. Still, he would not change a thing. He feels privileged to be allowed to know what he does of the Assassins. He feels with certainty that he is on the right side of a fight that he would gladly serve, with a man he would gladly die for.

Not that Ezio would dare let him do so. The younger man would never put Leonardo's life in any danger, not if he could avoid it. Leonardo risks his neck making creations for his friend while secretly sabotaging his own weapons for the Borgia, but he knows it doesn't sit right with Ezio. He knows Ezio would prefer to steal him away, far from the reach of Cesare.

But if Leonardo can do anything for Ezio, it's this, and he is willing to dismantle the Templars’ operation from the inside despite the risks.

It nearly kills him, once.

Leonardo walks as he always does, slipping down the narrow, twisting streets of the labyrinthian city. It is on one of these alley streets that he comes to a stop. The end of the alley is blocked by the large figure of a guard staring straight at him. Leonardo swallows nervously. Footsteps sound from behind his back, and Leonardo looks over his shoulder to see another guard. He is trapped.

“Ah… buon giorno,” he stutters, fumbling to put on a convincing act. He was never good at playing a character. “Perhaps you two gentlemen could assist me? See, I seem to have gotten lost on my way to the market…”

“The market is quite far from here, no, Signor Leonardo? Surely you didn't have to come all this way for your materials?” says the man before him, voice low and cold. He takes a step towards Leonardo. 

The men know him, Leonardo realizes, and his blood turns to ice in his veins. Cesare must have suspected Leonardo's secret meetings more than he had thought. If these men tailed him to Ezio…

Well, Ezio could probably hold his own against these spies. Leonardo, however, was pitifully on his own.

Behind Leonardo the sound of a weapon being unsheathed reaches his ears. Dimly, Leonardo is surprised he hears it over the deafening pounding of his own heart.

“Forgive us, signore, but traitors cannot be tolerated. Cesare does not allow his men to flirt with the enemy under his nose.”

Leonardo would die for Ezio, yes, of course he would. But it is impossible not to fear his demise regardless. And he is _scared._

Both men are advancing on him, now, with weapons drawn. Leonardo has naught but a small pocket knife, perhaps enough to fend off a young nervous pickpocket, but certainly nothing that will save him against two drawn swords. He is at his end, it seems.

Leonardo's breath hitches in his throat as the first man lunges to strike. But the blow never comes. A crossbow bolt embeds itself into the man's chest with such force that it throws him backwards. The man behind Leonardo cries out in rage, but even as Leonardo spins and steps back away from him, a figure in white drops down onto the man from the heavens.

“Ezio—” Leonardo says, but he's starting to trip backwards over himself and flails uselessly. Somehow, his savior manages to grip his forearm and pull him back on his feet.

Leonardo manages only a cursory look at Ezio before the man turns on his heel and tugs him out of the alley and down many winding streets, but what he sees catches him off guard. Not once in his memory can he think of a time when Ezio had looked at him with such fear, save perhaps when Ezio came to him after the death of his father and brothers so many years ago.

They take so many twists and turns that Leonardo's head spins. At last he can bear it no longer, and yanks Ezio to a stop down a narrow street empty of people. He doubles over and gasps for breath.

“Merda Ezio, I cannot keep pace with you. Please…” he pants. 

“They are dead, but there may be more.” Ezio says evenly. “I am not comfortable sending you back to the Borgia. If his scouts do not return to him, Cesare will suspect my involvement on your behalf, and will surely take his anger out on you.”

“I will be fine, Ezio. I will say I got lost and he will think they did not find me, so there will be no connection,” Leonardo tries to sound reassuring. But as he finally stands up straight, he sees he has done little to ease his friend’s mind. Ezio stands with his back towards him, but Leonardo can still see his fists clenched tightly.

“Cesare is not a fool Leonardo, he will see through those lies immediately. I'm taking you to Tiber Island—”

“That will only enrage Cesare further! And if I am seen on the island he will know where I am, it will put all of your recruits in danger.”

Ezio does not retaliate. Leonardo frowns at the back of his head. He admits it may be incredibly unwise to return to the Borgia after this incident, but he would not forgive himself for endangering Ezio, either. Leonardo knows Ezio well, he knows Ezio is typically a very practical man. So why is it now so difficult for him to see this is the best way?

Ezio's fist tightens until his knuckles turn white. It is Leonardo's only warning before the assassin whirls around in a fury. 

“My recruits can manage on their own against some petty guards, Leonardo! As we have seen, you _cannot!_ And you wish me still to send you directly into the lion’s den to meet your death?”

Ezio's tone is harsh, unforgiving. Leonardo catches glimpses, sometimes, of the man others must see in the moments before their deaths; the devil in white, cold and furious and unforgiving. Now he can see it plainly. For the first time, he feels truly intimidated by the Master Assassin.

Out of pride, Leonardo scrapes together the remnants of his resolve and lifts his chin defiantly, fixing Ezio with a glare. Ezio meets his eyes with a withering look that nearly causes Leonardo's to crumble anyway.

They do not speak for some time, tension filling the air between them. Leonardo stares down the flashing amber eyes of a killer.

After what feels like ages, Ezio breaks the eye contact to shake his head. He drags a hand down his face exasperatedly.

“Bravery or stupidity,” he mutters. “How am I to keep you safe when you insist on running into danger, hm?”

Leonardo can't help but crack a smile at that. “I could say the same of you, couldn't I? Remind me who it was that foolishly broke into the Castel Sant’Angelo all by himself to rescue Caterina Sforza? Remind me who keeps climbing to the tallest heights possible for no reason but to prove that he can?”

Ezio's lips quirk into a smile.

Leonardo expects Ezio to lead him away now that their argument has been ended, or at least postponed, but he does not. Ezio glances around, surveying the street in both directions. It is still void of people, and Leonardo believes he is looking for any pursuers. He is wrong.

Ezio takes Leonardo's hand. Leonardo looks down. It is as though Ezio’s disposition has turned on its head. Before, Leonardo was met the familiar eyes of his friend and found them dark in a way unfamiliar to him. Now, he feels the calloused hands that have spilled the blood of so many become gentle and pliant under his touch.

“Ezio…” Leonardo murmurs. He admits he feels a bit lost. They have argued before, they have held hands before, yes, but the air is different than anything Leonardo has experienced before. If even he can feel it, then Ezio's strangely sharp senses must feel overwhelmed.

Ezio steps closer, and Leonardo inhales sharply. With the assassin intruding so deeply into his personal space, Ezio takes up nearly all of Leonardo's line of sight. Dryly, Leonardo thinks this is something of a metaphor for his life since Ezio first entered it.

Instinctively, he knows what is to follow. Leonardo makes his choice.

Slowly, tentatively, Ezio leans closer. He's nervous, Leonardo realizes. He squeezes Ezio's hand. _Don't stop._

And he doesn't. Ezio crowds Leonardo against the wall of the building behind him and kisses him, slowly at first but gradually becoming more passionate. Leonardo’s eyes slide shut as his heart leaps in his chest. Ezio has a reputation for good reason.

Still gripping Leonardo's hand, Ezio lifts it and pins his wrist against the wall next to his head, stepping even closer so their chests brush together. His other hand comes to rest on Leonardo's side.

Ezio kisses him fiercely. When they part, Leonardo finds himself gasping for breath for a different reason. There's barely any time to catch his breath before Ezio's diving back in, and Leonardo quickly loses any sort of brain function he had remaining. 

He’s dizzy when Ezio pulls away again, his lips hovering just above Leonardo's. Ezio's breath is hot against his face. The city bustles around them as they are still.

“Let me protect you,” Ezio murmurs. “Your brilliant mind, your encouragement, you have always guided and supported me, always cared for me. I could not forgive myself if something happened to you. I won’t risk it. Please, Leo, let me protect you.” 

Leonardo cannot find it in him to deny Ezio that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I solve conflicts with canon by ignoring them. Sorry Salai, you were a cool dude

**Author's Note:**

> Yknow if this weren't a sort-of serious fic there'd be a roam/rome pun here somewhere
> 
> I know French not Italian so rip with all (very little) of that Italian stuff in here


End file.
